Diag Data IA: France's subsidized AI assessment for SMBs

What is Diag Data IA?

It is one of the measures in "Osez l'IA" ("Dare to use AI"), a national plan launched in July 2025 to help French companies adopt AI. The plan aims for 80% of small and midsize companies to use AI by 2030.

Bpifrance Conseil runs it on behalf of the government. A data science and AI expert approved by Bpifrance works on your company for 8 days, spread over three months at most, according to the program listing.

Does your company qualify?

The ministry's page lists small and midsize companies with 10 to 2,000 employees, registered in the French trade and companies register (RCS). The program listing, updated in August 2026, adds:

• Any sector, independent company, whether or not it is already a Bpifrance client.
• At least €1 million in revenue over a 12-month fiscal year.
• More than one year in business.

What does it cost, and how much is covered?

The assessment costs €10,000 before VAT. France 2030 covers 40%, which leaves €6,000 before VAT for the company, according to the pages checked on October 30, 2026.

Amounts and rates have changed from one version of the program to the next. Check Bpifrance's page when you apply; that's the one that counts.

Other public funding for an AI project (loans, tax credit, regional aid) is covered on the page AI grants for French companies.

How does the assessment work?

You apply online on Bpifrance's assessment site, or through your regional Bpifrance contact. The expert then goes through three steps:

• A technical and operational review, to see where AI could fit.
• Identifying concrete use cases that match your situation and goals.
• Ranking those use cases by the value they bring.

What about the AI Accelerator?

It's the heavier program in the same plan, running 18 months. It opens with a 360° data and AI assessment, then adds tailored consulting, group training and seminars, inside a cohort of about twenty CEOs. There are two tracks: services and manufacturing.

The ministry's page limits it to companies with more than €8 million in revenue, more than 50 employees and at least 3 years in business. The subsidy is 41% on Bpifrance's page and 46% on the ministry's, both checked on October 30, 2026. Entry is by application.

The plan also includes regional AI ambassadors, a catalog of AI solutions put together by the DGE (the ministry's business directorate) and Hub France IA, Bpifrance's "Accélérez avec l'IA" platform, and resources from France's chambers of commerce and trades and from France Num.

What should you expect, and what doesn't it do?

You get an outside look at your data and a ranked list of use cases. For a company that doesn't know where to start, that's a solid first step.

It doesn't install anything. After the eight days, no tool is running yet, and implementation is funded separately. To move fast afterward, ask the expert to spell out, for each use case they keep, the exact task, the files or tools it depends on, and who will review the output.

After the assessment: how do you get to agents that run?

Take the top use case on the list and get it running on your real files before opening the next ones.

That's what Saména does. Its engineers, trained at Télécom Paris and specialized in AI, start from your assessment's findings, look at how you work, and build the agent, wired into your tools: SharePoint, OneDrive or Dropbox in read-only mode, plus your email or business software as custom work. Two weeks after the call, a first agent is running.

Your agents then keep evolving with you on one monthly subscription for the whole company, with unlimited users and a dedicated point of contact. You can also start there, with no assessment first.

Frequently asked

Who runs the Diag Data IA?

A data science and AI expert approved by Bpifrance. When you apply, ask Bpifrance which experts can work with your company.

Does Diag Data IA pay for implementation?

No. The subsidy covers the 8 days of assessment. Building and running the tools is funded separately.

Do you need the assessment before launching an AI agent?

No. If you already know which task is eating your time, you can hand it straight to a first agent. The page "AI audit: how do you know where AI is worth it in your company?" lists the criteria for picking it.

How long does the assessment take?

Eight days of the expert's time, spread over three months at most, according to the program listing.

How do you get the most out of it?

Bring the tasks that eat your team's time, real examples (a quote, a client file, an email thread), and access to the folders where the information lives. The more real cases the expert sees, the more usable the list.